Characteristics of growth, development and meat qualities of young sheep of different genotypes

Abstract

The study of the development of the organism, taking into account the genotype of animals and environmental conditions, makes it possible to significantly speed up the process of improving existing breeds. The intensity of growth and development is of great importance, because premature young animals reach the term of economic use faster with lower feed costs per unit of growth. By the dynamics of live weight with age, it is possible to characterize the intensity of growth, the nature of metabolism, prematurity and the state of the body as a whole. Therefore, it is of scientific and practical interest to study the features of growth and development of purebred and cross-breed sheep of the meat direction of productivity. Precocious young animals reach the term of economic use faster with lower feed costs per unit of growth. The dynamics of live mass indicate the intensity of growth, the nature of metabolism, precociousness and the state of the organism. The purpose of the article was to determine the crossbreeding option that has the highest genetic potential for meat productivity and growth intensity. In the course of the study, the authors used the method of laboratory analysis, comparison, synthesis and forecasting. Peculiarities of growth and development of lambs of three different genotypes from birth to six months of age were studied, in particular: purebred young Askanian thin-wool breed (ATB); crosses of this gene pool with Texel (ATBxT) and Merinolandscape (ATBxM) breeds. Control over the growth and development of experimental animals was carried out by the method of weighing in different age periods. Evaluation of meat qualities was carried out based on the results of slaughter. It was established that the best development parameters were characterized by crossbreeds of the Texel with the Ascanian fine-wool breed, therefore this crossbreeding option has the highest genetic potential for meat productivity. The practical value consists in obtaining a potentially greater increase in the live weight of sheep in a shorter period of time and in the laboratory study of the properties of the offspring of the obtained breed

Keywords

• sheep
• genotype
• live weight
• linear parameters
• growth intensity